FG planning to Re-introduce Toll Gates

The federal government has revealed that it plans to re-introduce toll gates in all major high ways that are to be reconstructed across the country. This was stated recently by the Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.

Fashola who spoke at the Businessday Road Construction Seminar in Lagos, added that the fares for the toll gates could be paid using cards to minimise instances of cash payments.

According to him “we have also concluded traffic surveys on 51 major highways and now have current traffic data on these roads and we can project vehicular traffic movement for tolling and concession purposes”.

He added that “we have concluded preliminary designs for the plazas, and we are now looking at how to incorporate technology such as using contact cards, installing fibre optic, using GSM to enable people pay with minimum use of cash”.

It would be recalled that the Senate had October last year passed a motion for the reintroduction of toll gates on federal roads in the country. This position was equally supported by Transport Day newspaper via an editorial last year.

The motion, titled ‘Need for the Re-establishment of Toll Gates on Our Federal

In a related development, the Minister stated that the federal government has handed over the Apapa to Oworonshoki end of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, a 35 kilometres long highway to the Dangote Group to rebuild using concrete. This according to the Minister, was sealed through a recompense in the form of 10-year tax holiday.

Fashola said “I am pleased to inform you that, we have just concluded an agreement using the tax incentive order to hand over the Apapa area comprising Creek Road, Liverpool Road, Marine Beach to Mile 2, Oshodi, Oworonshoki to the Lagos end of the Toll Gate on the Ibadan Expressway to Dangote Group for construction using concrete on Tuesday, 12th September 2017”.

“We have also just concluded and signed an agreement with NLNG to construct the Bodo – Bonny Bridge at the cost of N120.6 Billion with NLNG and Federal Government sharing the cost 50-50. The contracts were signed on Wednesday, 13thSeptember 2017.

“We inherited a tax incentive policy for individuals to benefit from tax remission, to recover investment made in public infrastructure like roads, which other members of the public can utilise.

“This government has thought it fit to review the five-year limit on that tax order to a ten-year period to sustain private investment in road infrastructure, because it is a long-term asset,” he added.

Transport Day Newspaper is a publication published on-line (www.transportday.com.ng) and also in gloss paper every month, covering all the modes of Transportation and Logistics.As the Pay Off Line (Mouth piece of Transportation & Logistics) of the publication says, we are basically here to tell the world happenings about and around the Transportation and Logistics sectors, especially in Nigeria.